He waited till the low, resultant buzz died down, and little dancing devils of mischief showed in his eyes.
“I won’t make a long speech,” he said. “I know you’re probably anxious to get at the refreshments. Anyway, I’m no good at speeches. I’d rather show you a few tricks which might come in useful, since it’s been brought to my attention that some of you have been victimised by unscrupulous extortionists, which is a polite name for some dirty racketeering rats.”
He ignored the dead silence that suddenly brimmed the room, and went blandly on:
“Now I’m sure it wouldn’t need Detective Lieutenant Kearney, who is also here with us tonight, to remind you that carrying concealed weapons is illegal. But it’s quite possible for a man to protect himself without carrying firearms. One good judo hold is often worth as much as a gun. So for the benefit of some of you who might want to defend yourselves one day, I thought I’d demonstrate a few for you. If I’m to show them properly, of course, I’ll need a volunteer to work with.”
There was no rush to volunteer. Mrs Wingate chirped brightly, “Come on, somebody!”
Stephen Elliott stood up and beamed around with vaguely schoolmasterish encouragement.
Simon pointed a finger.
“You. No, not you — I mean the gentleman with the moustache. You look able to defend yourself. How about giving me a hand?”
Frankie Weiss huddled deeper in his chair and shook his head.
“Oh, come now,” Simon insisted. “You never know when a little judo might come in handy. How do you know you won’t meet some goon with a gun one of these days? Here!”